1. Isn’t it a shame that CBS Daytime (The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful) is going retro just for ratings? Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) and NeIl (Kristoff St. John) running over pregnant Christine (Lauralee Bell) on Y&R? She sadly had a miscarriage. Running over a soap character is so ancient and revolting!

2. Victor (Eric Braeden) revealed as a Catholic in oh so dated confession scenes! Religion again on daytime soaps! What about the Jews? Remember Jewish character Nora Hannon Buchanan on One Life to Live, played by the mighty Emmy winner Hillary B. Smith? Miss her!

3. Wasn’t the highlight of the whole week when Ryan’s Hope character Delia Reid Ryan (Ilene Kristen) now revived on General Hospital sang “Danny Boy” service to baby Avery at Ava’s (Maura West) memorial? This is just before Ava revealed herself to her mother as still being alive. “Danny Boy” is of course what Maeve Ryan (the great Helen Gallagher) used to sing to beleaguered characters. It was the trademark of the show. And here’s a hug for Claire Labine who, along with the late Paul Avila Mayer, was the co-creators/headwriter of RH. Irish forever! Did you know the Ryans were modeled on Claire’s real family? She still is and always will be a daytime legend.

4. Isn’t it incredible (and truly careless head writing by Ron Carlivati) to have so many General Hospital characters pardoned all within a few weeks of one another? Murderers Sonny (Maurice Benard), Jake (Billy Miller), Julian (William de Vry) who didn’t really do it, and Anna (Finola Hughes), who was pardoned off-screen. Ava is next! Yes, and even police chief Sloane (Grayson McCouch, ex As the World Turns and Another World), who really did do it and is corrupt as hell. How much more of him can we take? Anna in the FBI, gee!

Jacqueline MacInnes Wood

5. On The Bold and the Beautiful isn’t perpetually bikini-clad Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) who is staying at ex-husband Liam’s (Scott Clifton) beach house, so very sexy? You just know Steffy will lure her ex-husband Liam away from his present love Ivy (Ashleigh Brewer). Go Ivy! As I’ve written, I love Liam’s independent, truth-telling, intelligent girlfriend . She’s Marlena’s current gal. This blog is Soaps For the Thinking Fan, after all!

6. Isn’t it unbelievable that Luke (Tony Geary) bit off half of Scotty’s (Kin Shriner) ear on GH, just like Sir Anthony Hopkins’ legendary Hannibal Lechter character did in Silence of the Lambs? Or Mike Tyson? The doctors were able to repair it thankfully. For this genuine shocker, bravo Carlivati!

Before we begin, I’d like to thank the many of you who wrote in with good wishes for my continued good health. I’m feeling much better now and was greatly bolstered, not just by notes from so many readers but also by the shout-outs from long ago friends and former soap world colleagues.It’s great to know that good feelings of friendship persist despite the fact that we haven’t been in touch in years.Cheers! And now to business:

Ivy from Down Under

I’m greatly cheered by the appearance on The Bold and the Beautiful of a truly 21st century independent and strong woman character, who doesn’t owe anything to anyone and exists solely because she is intelligent and strong. She’s Ivy Forrester, the Aussie Forrester cousin and jewelry designer who has been slowly introduced on the show of late.She’s played with great vivacity and savvy by Ashleigh Brewer, a veteran of Australia’s Home and Away soap opera.

When Ivy first appeared on the scene, brought in to take over the jewelry arm of Forrester creations from that liar and cheat Quinn Fuller, she faced the chore of getting to know all her Forrester relatives, most of whom worked at the firm. She got to know Hope for the Future designer Hope Logan and through her one of Hope’s suitors, Liam Spencer.Hope has been ricocheting between Liam and Wyatt Fuller, Quinn’s son, for what seems like years.

Ivy liked Liam, but instead of stealing him, she concentrated on making him a good friend. It’s Liam who rescued Ivy when Quinn pushed her into the Seine in Paris and that good deed has created a special bond between the two.Ivy listened patiently as Liam bewailedthe sudden marriage of Hope and Wyatt,and consoled him on Hope’s pregnancy.

Ivy expressed her growing romantic interest in Liam with impressive subtlety. She threw Liam an Australian-style barbeque and invited him out to dance when he felt low.As of now, with Hope being pregnant, it looks like Ivy has a clear shot at Liam.But you never know, as the Liam-Hope-Wyatt triangle seems like an eternal storyline on B&B. But whatever happens, self-confident and brainy Ivy will still be standing there. At last, a soap heroine who can truly take care of herself.

Caroline in Conflict

Speaking of soap heroines, another B&B actress, Linsy Godfrey, has been terrific of late playing one who is in a sticky position. The heroine is Caroline Forrester, wife of Forrester son and exec Rick. She is a designer at Forrester creations. Since Ridge’s accident in which he lost the inability to draw and design, Caroline has been helping him out by collaborating on designs.But Ridge and Caroline have slowly been developing romantic feelings for each other, forbidden since Ridge is engaged to Katie and Caroline is married to Rick.

Godfrey has done a wonderful job of playing Caroline’s inner conflict, which isn’t easy because the handsome and charismatic Ridge is a very attractive man to Caroline. For now, Caroline has chosen to stay with Rick. But now that Maya has publicly spilled the secret that Caroline and Ridge have kissed in the past, that relationship should grow more complicated.We’re always hooked on forbidden soap romances!